Matchup between promising fillies depends on the weather

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mother Nature could spoil the seasonal debuts of Crystal Cliffs and Capital Structure, a pair of stakes-caliber fillies who are expected to meet in Thursday’s $84,000 second-level allowance feature, scheduled for 1 1/16-miles over Aqueduct’s inner turf course.

Rain is forecast for Thursday and could disrupt the entire eight-race program, which includes five grass races.

Crystal Cliffs trained by Graham Motion, raced twice in 2020 after coming to the U.S. from France following her 2019 campaign. On May 31, Crystal Cliffs won a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs. She came back four weeks later to finish second, beaten just a head by Harvey’s Lil Goil, in the Grade 3 Regret. Both races were at 1 1/8 miles.

Motion felt Crystal Cliffs “was a little unlucky” not to win the Regret. The French-bred filly was in tight between horses entering the first turn and was stalled behind horses entering the second turn. She came off the inside around the turn, but was guided back to the inside for the stretch and just ran out of ground. Harvey’s Lil Goil came back later in 2020 to win the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland and finished a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

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Motion said Crystal Cliffs came out of the Regret with a physical issue for which she needed time but no surgery to address.

“I was excited about her when we had to back off,” Motion said.

Crystal Cliffs shows a steady work pattern for her return, first at Palm Meadows and then two breezes at the Fair Hill training center.

“I think she can handle farther but she certainly can handle a mile and a sixteenth,” Motion said. “She should be fit enough.”

Capital Structure, a daughter of Lope de Vega trained by Chad Brown, went 2 for 4 in 2020 with both of her wins coming at 1 1/16 miles. She is making her first start since she finished fifth, three lengths behind stablemate Duopoly, in the Grade 1 American Oaks going 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

“She’s shown her versatility,” Brown said. “She can run this distance, but down the road she’s going to be a [long]-distance filly.”

Kissing Frogs, a daughter of Cairo Prince trained by Bill Mott, is a two-time winner at 1 1/16 miles and is coming off a three-quarter-length loss to Toffen, who was winning her third consecutive race, in this condition at Gulfstream on March 5.

If rain forces this race to the main track, Maiden Beauty will seek her third straight victory, second in this condition. Trained by Tony Dutrow, Maiden Beauty is in for the $62,500 tag.

Mia Bella Rossa, trained by Scott Lake, would be seeking her fifth consecutive victory, including a 2 1/4-length score in the Sis City starter stakes here on March 27.

Like Maiden Beauty and Mia Bella Rossa, Stand for the Flag is entered to run dirt only. Stand for the Flag was third to Maiden Beauty here on March 5.